Sphaeropsis eucalypticola
Sphaeropsis eucalypticola Phookamsak, Tennakoon & K.D. Hyde, in Phookamsak et al., Fungal Diversity: 10.1007/s13225-019-00421-w, [80] (2019)
Facesoffungi number: FoF00169, Fig. 52
Holotype: THAILAND, Chiang Rai Province, Muang District, on dead twig of Eucalyptus sp., 8 August 2011, M. Doilom, MFLU 12-0753.
Saprobic on dead twigs. Sexual morph Ascostromata 250–350 μm high, 170–250 μm diam. (ascostromata with papilla, not including subiculum or hypostroma), black, convex on host tissue, appearing through cracks in bark, scattered or clustered in small to large groups on a subiculum or hypostroma, 185–260 μm high at the base, aggregated, initially immersed, becoming erumpent, when cut horizontally locules visible as white contents and dark ascospore dots, uni-loculate or multi-loculate, globose to subglobose or flask-shaped. Papilla 60–95 μm long, 65–85 μm diam., ostiole with periphyses. Peridium 35–80 μm wide, thick-walled, composed of several layers of dark brown to black, coriaceous cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising 2.5–4 μm wide, hyphae-like, hyaline, numerous, septate pseudoparaphyses, constricted at the septa. Asci 102–175 × 22–32 μm (
Culture characteristics: Ascospores germinating on PDA after 5–10 h. Germ tubes produced from germ pore of ascospores. Colonies on PDA, reaching the edge of the Petri dish after 5 days, flat or effuse, undulate, initially white, after 3 days becoming brownish grey to olive.
Material examined: THAILAND, Chiang Rai Province, Muang District, Tha Sud Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang University campus grounds, on dead twigs of Bauhinia purpurea L. (Leguminosae), 14 March 2012, M. Doilom, MKBB031 (MFLU 18-1857), living culture, MFLUCC 12-0171.
Known hosts and distribution: Eucalyptus sp., Bauhinia purpurea, Tectona grandis L.f. (Thailand) (Liu et al. 2012b; Phillips et al. 2013; Doilom et al. 2017).
GenBank numbers: ITS = MK108956, TEF1-α = MK108958, TUB2 = MK108957.
Notes: A new isolate of Sphaeropsis eucalypticola (MFLUCC 12–0171) was collected from dead twigs of Bauhinia purpurea in Thailand. This new isolate shares a close phylogenetic affinity to the type of S. eucalypticola (100% ML, 100% MP and 1.00 BYPP) in our combined phylogeny of ITS, TEF1-α and TUB2 sequence data. Sphaeropsis eucalypticola has been reported from Eucalyptus sp. and Tectona grandis in Thailand (Liu et al. 2012b; Doilom et al. 2017), but it has not been previously reported from Bauhinia purpurea.
Figure.1: Sphaeropsis eucalypticola (MFLU 18-1857). a Ascostromata on dead twig of Bauhinia purpurea. b Ascostromata cut through horizontally showing the white contents with dark spots corresponding to asci with ascospores. c–e Vertical section of ascostromata. f Immature and mature asci with immature and mature ascospores. g–i Immature asci. j, k Asci with ascospores. l, m Immature ascospores. n, o Ascospores. p Germinated ascospore. q, r Colony on PDA after 2 months (q = above view, r = below view). Notes h, i, l stained in lactophenol cotton blue. Scale bars c, e, f = 100 µm. d = 50 µm. g, l–p = 10 µm. h–k = 20 µm.